Bulgarian premier: Greek border not ready for migrants

Boyko Borisov says border with Turkey is well protected, but there are problems at Greek border over migrants

Ihvan Radoykov |08.04.2019

SOFIA

Bulgaria’s frontier with Turkey is ready to hold back irregular migrants, but the same cannot be said of its border with Greece, according to Bulgaria’s prime minister.

"Our common border with Turkey is protected well, because our reciprocal agreements are being implemented.

However, there are problems with our [EU] partner Greece," Boyko Borisov said in a statement on Monday after meeting with Krasimir Karakachanov, the nation’s defense minister, and Mladen Marinov, its interior minister.

A statement released afterwards said the officials discussed measures Bulgaria can take to deal with irregular migrants.

Borisov, as quoted in the statement, said in case of a migration crisis, Bulgaria is ready to send 3,000 reinforcement troops to the Greek border.

Karakachanov, also quoted, said the risk of masses of irregular migrants entering Bulgaria from Turkey or Greece is continuing.

"The Defense Ministry is ready to provide the necessary personnel, technical, and logistical support in case of need," he added.

Bulgaria had installed a wire fence along its 274-kilometer land border with Turkey in order to prevent the entrance of irregular migrants.

However, there is no such fence along its border with Greece.

In recent days, large groups of migrants, drawn by social media misinformation, have drawn near the Bulgarian and Greek borders.